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UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS
General Certificate of Education
Advanced Subsidiary Level and Advanced Level
9699/02
SOCIOLOGY
Paper 2 Principles and Methods 2
October/November 2004
1 hour 30 minutes
Additional Materials:
Answer Booklet/Paper
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST
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Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen on both sides of the paper.
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Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.
Answer two questions.
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The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.
This document consists of 3 printed pages and 1 blank page.
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Answer two questions.
1
Sociologists are strongly opposed to accounts of social behaviour that rely on common sense.
They point out that in everyday life ‘common sense’ is just a phrase people use to claim that what
they are saying is beyond question. But the claim is not backed up by any systematic appeal to
evidence; if it were it would cease to be common sense. By contrast, sociological reasoning sets
out the steps of an argument systematically, shows where and how the argument is supported by
evidence, and states how the evidence was collected.
Furthermore, sociologists attempt to examine the assumptions on which their own research and
arguments are based, so that they are not misled by irrational and unsupportable ideas. They also
make their work available for criticism and review by other sociologists so that any bias may be
detected; common sense simply claims that it is common sense, and therefore cannot be
challenged.
(a) What is meant by the term bias?
[2]
(b) Describe two possible sources of bias in a piece of sociological research.
[4]
(c) Explain how the use of the hypothetico-deductive method may make sociology superior to
common sense.
[8]
(d) Assess the view that sociological research can never be as rigorous and objective as
research in the natural sciences.
[11]
2
Interpretivist sociologists favour participant observation as a research method. This is where
researchers join the life of the people they are studying, not only to be able to observe people in
their natural surroundings, but also to learn to see things and feel things as they do. One of the
worries of participant observers is ‘sympathetic bias’: the idea that they may be influenced to give
a kindly but biased account of research subjects who have become friends. Indeed, the more
successful they are in becoming members, the more difficult it is for them to avoid sympathetic
bias.
(a) What is meant by the term interpretivist ?
[2]
(b) Describe two difficulties that a sociologist may face in gaining access to a group they wish to
study.
[4]
(c) Explain why supporters of participant observation believe that it is important to study people
in their natural surroundings.
[8]
(d) Assess the arguments of those who criticise the use of participant observation in sociological
research.
[11]
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3
Functionalists claim that everyone’s interests are served by a social system that is stable and
efficient in producing goods and services. A stable and efficient society has to have leaders,
managers and so on to organise things on behalf of others, and these people have to be
adequately rewarded. Therefore inequality is an important part of a stable and efficient society,
and hence inequality is to the benefit of everyone.
By contrast, conflict theorists argue that society is made up of groups with different interests, and
social life is a struggle between groups trying to impose their interests on others. Social stability
mostly benefits those who are currently doing well out of the system.
(a) What is meant by the term inequality ?
[2]
(b) Describe two types of inequality in modern industrial societies.
[4]
(c) Explain why functionalists consider that inequality is an important part of a stable and efficient
society.
[8]
(d) Assess the claim that differences in status and wealth mostly benefit the rich and powerful
groups in society.
[11]
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9699/02/O/N/04
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BLANK PAGE
University of Cambridge International Examinations is part of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) which is itself a department of
the University of Cambridge.
9699/02/O/N/04
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